The More Things Change
by Kali Cephirot
Summary: Five birthdays Soubi has had in his life. [Soubi, Ritsu, Kio, Seimei, Ritsuka. FINISHED.]


**The More Things Change.**

**1.**

Soubi can't think of anything better than having his birthday on a Sunday, because then the bookshop is closed and his mother doesn't have art students to take care of and the only thing they do is take care of him, spend time with him. His father is singing Happy Birthday in French, voice deep and musical as he puts a small cake in front of him and his mother. Soubi snuggles against his mother's neck and she laughs gently, moves a soft hand to touch his hair as she holds him.

"Five years old already, I can't believe how fast time goes by," his father sighs, blue eyes merry despite his words. He reaches to tousle Soubi's hair and Soubi smiles, pleased. His father has always been a physical person, and Soubi loves him for that. "Happy birthday, Sou-chan."

"Make a wish," his mother says, her hair in a low ponytail hanging over her shoulder. She presses a kiss to his temple and Soubi treasures it, because his mother is much more reserved when showing her love. "Go on."

Soubi looks at the candle and takes a deep breath before he blows the candle out without making a wish, because he can't think of anything he'd want right now.

**2.**

He doesn't move when sensei puts the whip away. His skin is tingling and he's half hard and sensei hasn't ordered him yet to move. Soubi leans his sweaty forehead against the wall, where its coolness helps for about a second or so. 

He hears the scrap of sensei's chair move and how it creaks when sensei sits down, but he keeps his hands where they are.

"How old are you, Soubi-kun?"

"Fourteen, sensei."

"Wrong, Soubi-kun," Ritsu-sensei says. Soubi can picture him lightning up a cigarette and blowings a string of pearly gray smoke. He knows sensei is smiling. "You're fifteen now."

Oh. He had forgotten. "I'm sorry, sensei."

Ritsu makes a dismissal sound and Soubi almost wants to turn to look at him but he knows better. Not to move until he's ordered, that's what he needs to do so that sensei will finally choose him.

"I suppose I should give you something," Ritsu carries on, and hope hurts much more than the whip could ever do.

There's only something that Soubi wants, and sensei knows it. If he could have it...

"Arms down, Soubi-kun," Ritsu-sensei dismisses him and Soubi turns slowly. He can't see sensei's eyes from where he's standing, just the light of his cigarrette. "You can take the rest of the day off."

**3.**

Kio comes inside his place carrying two huge groceries bags, which are, Soubi discovers with some amusement as Kio opens them, only carrying beer.

"A little too much, don't you think, Kio?"

Kio snorts as he opens his can, clicking his tongue as it foams and he laps at it, taking a swig. Soubi opens his own a little more carefully.

"Have something better to do?" Kio asks then. "And don't say 'Aoyagi' nothing. Getting beat up on your bloody _birthday_ is not better and you're not allowed to. So drink up."

"Ah," Soubi decides not to push the subject. For the last few months they've been acquaintances (or, as Kio says, 'friends'), the other student has been completely uncapable of understanding that Seimei isn't being _cruel_ and that he's just treating Soubi as he should, so Soubi knows better than to try again. Instead he smiles as he drinks some more and accepts the bowl of chips Kio pushes his way. "Trying to get me drunk enough, Kio?"

Kio leers even as he snorts: "Can't blame a man for trying, now, could ya?"

**4.**

By the time Dreamless is finally defeated, Seimei ordering up a nightmare of storms and lightning, the Sacrifice screaming in a raw voice, Soubi thinks that he might have broken one rib or two.

Breathing hurts but still he moves and goes towards Seimei. Seimei is twisting his wrist gently, as if to test that the chains that Dreamless' Fighter had cast upon him haven't hurt him. He must be mad. Soubi stops in front of him.

"Mmm. Interesting spell they used," Seimei comments, dusting his arms. "I want you to see upon it, Soubi. I won't accept more surprises like that."

"I understand," Soubi says. His neck hurts, too. He'll have to redo the bandages.

Seimei makes another thoughtful sound as he looks at him, dettached and distant. Soubi is wondering how he'll be punished, but then Seimei just touches the back of two gloved fingers against the curve of his face, the sharp edges of his smile almost kind.

"Good job," Seimei says before he turns away, and it's the best gift Soubi could have ever gotten.

**5.**

He's not even sure if Ritsuka knows. He, at least, has never told him, but Soubi doesn't put it past Kio to tell Ritsuka the date, not believing Soubi when he has said multiple times before that it's not an important date to him.

Still, by five o' clock, he's pretty certain that either Ritsuka doesn't know or he has forgotten. Soubi won't say it, of course. If Ritsuka actually doesn't know, he'll be mortified about that, and if he _did_ know, he'll be both angry and worried about having forgotten something, since Ritsuka takes twice as hard as anyone else would to forget something, after all.

Besides, it's been a good day spent by his Sacrifice's side, watching Ritsuka do his homework over his bed, teasing him gently to get that glare that makes Ritsuka's eyes shine.

"Are you done?" Soubi asks, closing his book when he sees Ritsuka do the same with his notebooks and stand up from his bed. Ritsuka, however, doesn't answer, not quite looking at him. "Ritsuka?"

"... close your eyes," Ritsuka mutters, eyes over his shoulder, flushing a little

Soubi frowns a little, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"I said to close your eyes!" Ritsuka yells, flushed and tail fluffed. "It's an order!"

Soubi smiles, hoping it doesn't seem mocking and he does as he's told, waiting for whatever it is that Ritsuka wants to do.

He sucks in a breath when he feels Ritsuka leaning over him and then he feels Ritsuka's lips against his, Ritsuka's arms around his neck, eyes opening on their own. Ritsuka's face if flushed but he doesn't push away, not even when Soubi moves his own arms around his waist. After a few moments, it's even Ritsuka the one who opens his lips and Soubi shudders again as he pulls him closer.

When Ritsuka breaks the kiss he doesn't push away from his lap. He's flushing, eyes wide and Soubi is almost sure that he's close to panic, but instead Ritsuka takes a deep breath and still looking at him, almost shy, he says:

"Happy birthday, Soubi."

Oh. His chest aches again, warm and wonderfully tight and he smiles a little, without knowing what to say or do. Ritsuka's flush darkens and spreads over his face and he squirms, apparently trying to move away.

And saying this goes against everything he knows, but still--

"Can we stay like this, just for a moment?" Soubi finds himself asking, dreading. It's not his place to ask, even with what Ritsuka says, but...

Ritsuka snorts but then smiles, stops trying to move away, leaning his head against his shoulder and he mutters a 'stupid' so fondly that Soubi tightens his arms around him.

If he gets a birthday wish, he thinks, its just for this.


End file.
